North America Distribution

Facts About

Ray's knotweed is an uncommon, native species in New England, being found only along the Atlantic coast of Maine, on beaches and in the hollows of sand dunes. Its bue-green leaves do not have a waxy coating, unlike seaside knotweed (P. glaucum), a very rare dune species that resembles it. They are also wider and the pinkish ochreas (sheathing stipules) are shorter on Ray's knotweed. The species name, "oxyspermum" means "sharp seed" and may refer to the three-sided achenes produced in mid-summer.

Habitat

Coastal beaches (sea beaches)

Characteristics

Habitat

terrestrial

wetlands

New England state

Maine

Flower petal color

green to brown

pink to red

white

Leaf type

the leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)

Leaf arrangement

alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem

Leaf blade edges

the edge of the leaf blade is entire (has no teeth or lobes)

Flower symmetry

there are two or more ways to evenly divide the flower (the flower is radially symmetrical)